Consumers and carers

The Next Wave – Healthcare inroads

Amplifying efforts for more appropriate use of tests, treatments and procedures in health services.

The Next Wave – Healthcare inroads

Dr Simon Judkins:

Well, Choosing Wisely really has been a very powerful vehicle, I think, for us to bring a lot of work that we've already done about how to instigate rational test ordering, or appropriate test ordering. And we’ve done some great work previously around ordering of C-reactive proteins, about blood culture work. We’re already doing some work in the Austin about end-of-life care.
Choosing Wisely, we found, is a vehicle to actually bring all those disciplines in and all those projects in under one big umbrella. In order to make that change, we need to educate the whole hospital and all the physicians and clinicians involved about these processes.
And had a grand round launch just last week, and...

Speaker:

How did it go, what did you do, and how did the staff react?

Dr Simon Judkins:

Well, it was really about launching Austin Health as being a Choosing Wisely champion hospital. And so we really want to use this vehicle as our… To bring all those pieces of work under one big umbrella.

Speaker:

Your college has been involved right from the start. Why? Why are you so keen on all of this?

Professor John Slavotinek:

There are several reasons for this. I guess the first and simplest is there's been a successful initiative overseas and it's spreading internationally. There has been a rapid increase in the number and complexity of medical imaging tests and this, I guess, drives a need for the College of Radiologists to improve the appropriate use of those tests so that resources are used as effectively as possible.

In terms of that, one of the elements of the college mission statement, in fact, is around driving the proper, safe and appropriate use of medical imaging.

Thirdly, we also are involved, for quite some time, in a number of initiatives directed at improving appropriateness of imaging. This includes websites that are directed at consumer information, two examples being Inside Radiology, which is aimed at the radiology side of our college, and the other being Targeting Cancer, aimed at the radiation oncology side of our college. And these provide information to consumers, but they also, where appropriate, encourage conversations between health providers and consumers.

And finally, and perhaps the most important is, I think it's the right thing to do.

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